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Three Arrested For Crack

OCEAN CITY — Three local men were arrested on crack cocaine possession charges last week after a routine traffic stop in Ocean City.

Around 2:35 p.m. last Wednesday, OCPD stopped a 2002 Nissan Altima with three occupants inside for a traffic violation in the area of 62nd Street and Coastal Highway. During the traffic stop, officers noticed two of the occupants shoving an unknown object under the front seat.

The driver was identified as Larry Dennell Floyd, Jr., 30, of Berlin, and a check of his status revealed his license was suspended. The two passengers were identified as Marty Tankard, Jr., 33, of Berlin, and Joel Lankford, 40, of Nanticoke. The investigation revealed the suspicious object shoved under the front seat was a beer bottle.

While officers were checking under the front seat, they observed a white, powdery substance believed to be crack cocaine. OCPD officers also recovered additional crack cocaine on the front and rear passenger seats. Floyd was arrested for driving on a suspended license, and Tankard and Lankford were arrested for possession of crack cocaine.

During the arrest process, Floyd became uncooperative and would not open his mouth. Officers suspected Floyd was concealing illegal drugs in his mouth and was attempting to swallow them. Officers attempted to get Floyd to spit out what was in his mouth, but he continued to refuse and resist arrest.

Due to Floyd’s level of resistance along with a concern he was attempting to swallow a potentially life-threatening drug, OCPD officers deployed a Taser and delivered one drive-stun to his back to gain compliance. Floyd immediately spit out the contents of his mouth, which turned out to be a large quantity of crack cocaine.

Floyd was taken to AGH as a precautionary measure for the possible drug consumption and the taser shot. He was evaluated and released to police custody. Floyd was charged with driving on a suspended license, possession and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, resisting arrest, obstructing and hindering and various traffic offenses. Tankard was charged with possession of crack cocaine and open container, while Lankford was charged with possession of crack cocaine.

During July and August, the OCPD narcotics unit received numerous anonymous tips about a female bartender at the Crabcake Factory on 120th Street selling marijuana and Adderall. One of the tips came in the form of a letter detailing the transactions allegedly carried out by Jill Lauren Spinnenweber, 34.

Around 8 p.m. on Sept. 13, OCPD officers went to her employment in an attempt to make contact with Spinnenweber and found her working behind the bar. For about two hours, the undercover officers talked socially with her while she was working, and when they were about to leave, the officers asked Spinnenweber if she knew where they could find some “blow,” or slang for cocaine, according to police reports.

Spinnenweber told the officers she didn’t know where to find cocaine, but she was able to get “weed”, according to police reports, and that she could get marijuana for them the following day. The officers told the suspect they were interested in an eighth of an ounce, and Spinnenweber told them it would cost $60. The officers exchanges cell phone numbers with Spinnenweber, who told police she was working the next night and would see them then, according to police reports.

Around 3 p.m. the next day, the undercover officer text messaged Spinnenweber, confirming the deal was still on. According to police reports, Spinnenweber messaged the officer to meet her at her place of employment around 6 p.m. The officers arrived and waited on the sidewalk near the business. A short time later, Spinnenweber arrived carrying a blue bag with stars and other designs on it, which had been identified by anonymous tipsters earlier.

According to police reports, Spinnenweber spoke briefly with the business’s owner and other individuals outside before going inside. A short time later, in an apparent effort to ensure her boss did not learn about the transaction, she allegedly text messaged the undercover officers to go behind the dumpster.

One of the officers recognized the business owner and the other individuals outside. Upon seeing them, the officer feared the transaction might be compromised since they knew he was a police officer and would wonder why he was on site. Instead, the second undercover officer went behind the dumpster as directed and completed the transaction with Spinnenweber, according to police reports.

The business owner said he had no knowledge of any transaction taking place or any sort of activity such as that taking place in his establishment. He said he would never condone any sort of behavior such as this and was shocked to hear of the allegations.

Two days later, the OCPD undercover officers made a similar arrangement with Spinnenweber via text message, this time for a quarter of an ounce of marijuana. An arrangement was made for the transaction to take place in the parking lot of the Pizza Tugos uptown. The officer went to the location at the appointed time and completed another marijuana purchase from Spinnenweber in her vehicle out of the same blue bag used in the earlier transaction.

Around 6 p.m. last Friday, when the suspect arrived at work shortly after 6 p.m., she was arrested and charged with possession and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

8th DUI Arrest Reported

BERLIN — A Denton man was arrested on drunk-driving and resisting arrest charges last week after getting bounced from the Casino at Ocean Downs and later being tailed by Maryland State Police troopers.

Shortly before 5 p.m. last Saturday, the Maryland State Police received two separate calls from the Casino at Ocean Downs in reference to a suspect identified as Sean Aaron Mitchell, 35, of Denton, who was allegedly intoxicated and was leaving the casino in a pick-up truck towing a jet ski. Casino staff advised MSP troopers Mitchell had been removed from the facility around 1 p.m. because he was intoxicated, disorderly and combative.

A short time later, an MSP trooper who took the calls about Mitchell took a stationary position on westbound Route 50 near the Berlin barrack in an effort to locate the vehicle. Not long thereafter, the trooper observed the described pick-up truck towing a jet ski traveling on Route 50. The trooper pulled over the vehicle near Caleb Rd. after observing traffic violations.

Mitchell refused all field sobriety tests and was arrested for driving under the influence. During processing at the Berlin barrack, Mitchell allegedly became combative and attempted to fight with MSP troopers and was also charged with resisting arrest.

Last Saturday’s incident was Mitchell’s eighth DUI offense. He was also in violation of not having his vehicle equipped with an interlock system.